Man thats some tortured logic
1) How on earth can you assume Wilson is available to us at the time Nolan was grabbed off waivers? He started with the Pens and only left them a couple weeks into the season as part of a trade for Riley Sheahan (Were we trading Larsson or Girgs for him?/ If it was Larsson I'm quite confident you would not be pleased). Its far more logical he only became available to us because the Red Wings wanted to get the 5th back they lost in the initial trade. There is little to indicate Wilson could have been had by us to start the season as easily as Nolan was. Its some pretty convoluted logic to assert we went with Nolan off waivers instead of getting Wilson for a 5th.
Because I don't believe he went from "not available" to "available" in the span of 2 weeks....
Riley Sheahan was a cap dump.
Yes, Riley Sheahan was available for free.... thanks Botts.
2) Fasching should have been sent to the AHL. There is little doubt in my mind that was the right move. He had little pro experience due to injury and needed development time. He started off poorly and finally put a couple strong weeks together leading to the call up. Everything about his development this year was handle as it should be.
As long as we phrase it properly. Fasching was given extra development time, at the expense of the Sabres roster.
3) I didn't view using Mouslon, Nolan and Griffith as placeholders as an issue then and I don't now because the youngster were either sent where they should have been or were injured (Erod). I've also argued we wouldn't want to waive Mouslon to send him to the Amerks because they were trying to build something there. I got that half right. Erod returning to health and playing great for a couple weeks along with Fasching getting his game rolling for a couple weeks allowed the moves we recently made take place.
It's funny how easy it is to recognize the value excising incompetence from the lockerroom, but how difficult it is to admit the problems it caused in the first place.
I get being frustrated by the placeholder options. I was too. But with Erod hurt and the others needing development its hard to argue the wrong moves were made sending them down. Plus the issues with this team go well above the placeholders and their play. Many of out top 6 members have struggled and in some cases struggled badly. This seems like reaching just to ***** about the GM to me.
It's not frustration. It's understanding the impact. Everybody recognizes after it's too late.
It shouldn't have taken 10 weeks to remove Moulson.
Fasching and everyone in Rochester were not the only options on this hockey earth. Scott Wilson wasn't the only guy available.
Daniel Winnik was on a PTO...
Botts deserves a ton of credit for what he's done with Rochester. But he failed in handling Buffalo correctly. It's not surprising were his experience lies...
I don't know why this is an argument. Botts chose to go in to the season with Matt Moulson, Seth Griffith, and Jordan Nolan as regulars.... He also kept Gorges around, even though there was a well reported rift between the "old letters" and the "franchise kids".
For everything he's done right in Rochester, he's done the opposite in Buffalo (for now). An experience GM wouldn't have let the lockerroom fester. You want to make Jack the francise? Give him the C, get rid of the Moulson's and Gorges', and build from the foundation you believe in.
Instead... you show a lack of belief... use the season as a mulligan.... and, that's the teams identity now.